Truth of a Champion
by Electorum
Summary: Fanfiction of an Original Character beginning in Kanto who embarks upon their Pokémon Journey.
1. Chapter 1

And then he woke up. The boy gazed at his surroundings; the small orchard's trees casting blankets of shadows upon the grass and the soft wind gently gliding between the trees seemed to invite him to remain. But he refused. Leaping to his feet, he began to walk along the familiar path back to the lab, the far-away wind turbine drawing closer towards him. He smiled to himself; it was finally time.

As expected, Professor Oak was waiting for him at the door.

"Eager as always I see." proclaimed the professor, seemingly unphased by the early start and what would soon follow. "Seeing as you've arrived earlier than the others, I suggest that we meet your starter Pokémon now."

Christopher flung his backpack beside the open door and followed Oak further into the complex, eagerly awaiting the moment he had dreamed about for so long. For years he had wanted to become a Pokémon trainer, having stood by and watched many trainers from across the region begin their journeys at the lab. He knew exactly what to expect from this day, but still felt slightly overwhelmed by it all. Pushing his feeling aside, Christopher continued up the stairs.

Carefully placed upon a metal podium on the upper level, three pokéballs awaited their future trainers. The Professor reached out to each of them in turn and revealed the Pokémon inside.

The first to be released of the trio was Charmander, the flame at the tip of its tail was burning intensely while its salamander scales seemed to gleam in the light. A pair of sharp but small fangs protruded from its mouth and the deep, green eyes seemed to follow Christopher with an analytical curiosity. Charmander were typically close to mid-range fighters preferring to use their flames for fighting than their physical prowess which was saved for close attacks. Once it evolved into Charizard, they would prefer aerial combat as opposed to the grounded battles that they were used to.

The second was a particularly large squirtle, a dark brown shell covered in hexagons covered its chest and back except for the blue, muscular limbs protruding from it. What caught Christopher's attention the most was its hands, the scales on its hands were much larger and thicker than what would be found with an average example of its species, something Squirtle was clearly not. Mostly defensive creatures, Squirtle would eventually sacrifice speed to absorb large amounts of damage and then retaliate with its strength once it evolved.

The last to be released was Bulbasaur, a calm and friendly expression upon its face as it took in its surroundings and almost collided with Squirtle. The large bulb on its back was vividly green and seemed to almost glow in the sunlight. Bulbasaur were not typically used for power battles, preferring to outsmart their opponents with prolonged fighting or indirect attacks while reducing any damage by absorbing the energy around them. Memories of Oak's Venusaur reminded him of the overwhelming power it might one day wield, leading to the realisation that Bulbasaur possessed a near-identical pattern to the infamous Bruteroot that had fought loyally beside Oak in the past.

"Professor, where did you get the starter Pokémon from?" Christopher asked, fearing he knew the response already.

"I bred them here at the lab, a more personal touch for such a promising group of trainers." came Oak's reply, a subtle smile of pride flashing on his face. A sudden crash upon the stairs alerted the young trainer to the arrival of the others. Christopher resigned himself to a corner of the room, studying his rivals intently for anything he could use.

The first to enter had been Elizabeth; a taller than average, friendly girl who possessed tanned skin, dark eyes and light hair from her father, a businessman who profited greatly from trading. While she was not necessarily spoiled by her upbringing, Elizabeth was easily frustrated when her attempts did not succeed on the first try, causing her to believe she was less capable than she truly was. He hoped the journey would be good for her, an opportunity to learn what she could achieve on her own and the value of hard work. She had a type preference for Steel and Flying Pokémon, probably from the modern but elegant appearances many of them had.

The second was Nathan; average height combined with a slender build, pale skin, light green eyes and a mass of black spikes for hair. His personality caused him to be initially shy with people, preferring to meet strangers in the company of those he already trusted. If he could learn to trust his Pokémon and forge meaningful bonds with each of them, his greater talents would be able to shine through his battles and he might gain the confidence to make something more of himself. He had a type preference for Electric and Psychic Pokémon, mostly for their preference for indirect attacks and reaction speeds.

The third was Hayley, shorter than average height, light curling hair which faded from dark to light brown and blue eyes. Arguably the most promising of the trainers including himself, Hayley had prior training with Pokémon battling from her family due to being an Oak, something she believed made her better than those around her. The girl could be cunning, stubborn and unable to accept defeat because of her upbringing, something that Christopher hoped would fade as she matured on her journey. She seemed determined to prove herself greater than her grandfather's legacy but would use it as a reason for her supposed greatness. No specific type preference was apparent to him but she seemed to be interested in Oak's Pokémon with unique types and form differences, such as Smeargle's Sketch move and the Eeveelutions that frequented the ranch.

"Now that you're all here I can finally explain the situation," Oak stated to the group, "As you can see, I have only the three typical starter Pokémon to provide as options to you four trainers. One of you will be given an alternate starter, decide amongst yourselves."

Silence filled the room as it settled in.

"Well, I'm not doing it and that's final." Hayley remarked, her bluntness making Elizabeth and Nathan glance at each other nervously.

"I will take it." Christopher calmly answered, two sighs of relief and one of contempt being his only acknowledgement.

"Now that it's settled we can begin." proclaimed Oak as he gestured towards an assortment of Pokédexes beside his computer. "These devices can collect detailed information about any Pokémon that you may encounter on your journeys. Once you've registered them to your licenses, you can receive your starters."

After a few minutes, during which Nathan briefly forgot his licence registration, the young trainers were ready to choose their starters. Not wanting to waste such a valuable opportunity to gain an advantage, Christopher scanned the starters before the others could protest;

Bulbasaur, The Seed Pokémon:

Type-Grass/Poison

Gender-Female

Growth-Giant

Ability-Overgrowth

Moves-Tackle, Growl, Vine Whip, Synthesis

Egg Moves-Weather Ball

Charmander, The Lizard Pokémon:

Type-Fire

Gender-Female

Growth-Small

Ability-Blaze

Moves-Growl, Scratch, Ember, Smokescreen

Egg Moves-Aerial Ace

Squirtle, The Tiny Turtle:

Type-Water

Gender-Male

Growth-Huge

Ability-Torrent

Moves-Water Gun, Bite, Tackle, Tail Whip

Egg Moves-Aura Sphere

"Professor, how does Bulbasaur have the potential for Weather Ball? I did not think they were capable of having such a move." Christopher inquired, having never encountered such a case before. The possibilities of combining it with terrain effects would be very interesting to study, or very dangerous to battle against. Once again, memories of Bruteroot flooded his mind.

"A secret amongst professors. Perhaps you will learn it if that is what you choose to do after your journey." Oak said while smiling to himself. The man could be very mysterious at times. And frustrating. Oak led Christopher downstairs into his study where a lone pokéball sat on the wooden table.

"I had hoped you would be the one to volunteer today, I chose this Pokémon with you in mind." Oak explained as he extended the pokéball to Christopher, "We both know that you won't have the same advantages as the others, especially starting on your journey without a gift Pokémon. But having seen your work as my assistant and teaching you in preparation for this day, I am confident that this Pokémon is well suited to your particular style."

In a burst of white light, Christopher's starter appeared before him. A large rounded body of yellow approached him, the dark stripes upon its body emphasising the bulk on its arms. Two large prongs protruded from its head and the dark eyes followed him intensely. A faint buzz filled the air as it swung its arms around, streams of electricity seemed to fly off of its body and then Christopher realised something. And he smiled.

"It is the same typing that his starter was." he declared to the professor as he crouched down to his starter's head level.

"Hi there Elekid, my name is Christopher and I was hoping you would come with me on a Pokémon journey. Would you like that?" he asked the electric Pokémon. He received a sharp nod in response from Elekid and a small spark formed between its horns.

"He certainly seems to have accepted you but now it is up to you to train him. I've taught Elekid Leer, Quick Attack, Rolling Kick and Thunder Punch but as a baby Pokémon he will have several limitations until he evolves. Don't forget, Elekid can only do so much," Oak advised. Determined to prove otherwise, Elekid rushed outside to frantically search for any Pokémon that would battle it to prove its strength.

"Professor, should we go after Elekid? I do not want him to anger something like Bruteroot." concern for his first Pokémon clearly in Christopher's voice.

"He will be fine, let us go back to the lab while we wait for his return," assured Oak.

The pair returned to the lab to find the other trainers had disappeared, clearly having chosen their starters and wanting to battle with them immediately outside.

"You'd better chase after them then, wouldn't want you to be left behind. Make sure you come back tomorrow for the pokéballs that I ordered." Oak prompted.

"Thank you, Professor, I will see you tomorrow" Christopher shouted as he ran after his newly acquired Pokémon. After saving Elekid from an annoyed arcanine, Christopher and his companion travelled south of Pallet Town to a small clearing close to the ocean where the sounds of wild Pokémon could frequently be heard.

"Okay Elekid, today I plan on getting to know you more as opposed to only training you. I am not asking you to blindly trust me, I simply want you to give me a chance to earn it." Another firm nod was the only response Christopher received. "Good, now show me a Thunder Punch". After a moment of charging the energy with its arms, Elekid launched an attack against a nearby tree, a small burn mark appearing on the bark.

"That was great Elekid, now I want you to try forming a Thunder Punch but don't hit anything with it." Elekid, puzzled by its trainer's request, channelled the Thunder Punch at the surface of its fist and focused on maintaining it. Within seconds of forming, the electricity soon dissipated leaving only a frustrated expression on Elekid's face.

"Elekid naturally have a low capacity for electricity; instead of only increasing yours we should focus on the timing. If you only channel the energy at the very moment of contact then less energy is wasted and it can be more concentrated." Christopher calmly explained to his eager listener, and seeing that he was paying attention decided to continue with his questions.

"Which hand do you naturally use for a punch?" Elekid was confused at first but soon lifted its right fist into the air with a brief crackle. "We will train to both fists to make sure you do not favour either one. Let us begin with some training."

For the next four hours, both trainer and Pokémon battled tirelessly against hordes of rattata, pidgey and the occasional magikarp that was close enough to the shore. At the end of their session, both trainer and Pokémon had begun to bond with each other; Christopher's rapids commands and judgements being responded to immediately by Elekid.

"That will be enough, we have both worked hard today and we should start to head back." Christopher stated, a grin visible on his face from their progress.

Just as the duo was leaving the clearing, they encountered a troublesome tangelo intent on battling them.

"Still got some energy left Elekid?" The trainer asked his Pokémon. The blur of yellow arms and a deep grin was the answer. Tangela began its assault by slinging a pair of vines at Elekid's arms which he nimbly jumped above. Elekid ran in closer to strike with a Thunder Punch but was caught by the previous vines around its legs.

"Send the electricity through the vines." Christopher shouted. Elekid channelled the electricity through his bonds and into an unsuspecting Tangela who was forced to let go.

"Quick Attack into a rising Low Kick" the trainer directed to the yellow blur as it kicked its opponent into the air. The tangela tried using its vines to soften the landing but was thrown into the ground with a vicious Thunder Punch beside an out of breath Elekid

"If only I had brought a pokéball with me, Tangela would have made a nice addition to the team. You fought well Elekid, especially with your exhaustion." Christopher told his loyal Pokémon. The drained duo made their way back to Pallet Town where Christopher led Elekid to his house. It was a relatively large house for just one person with a similar garden behind it. Inside of the house, the furniture was covered in white sheets in preparation for Christopher's prolonged absence that would soon begin.

"One more thing before we leave tomorrow, you need a nickname. Preferably something shorter than four syllables for speed, any ideas?" Elekid, limited by its trainer being unable to understand it, was forced to find other means to communicate. In this case, it decided to search through the entire house for something that it liked. And in the end, it returned with a book to its trainer.

"Interested in space then, I can work with that," acknowledged Christopher, beginning to flick through the pages for something he could use. "Astro, Quark, Nebula, Dwarf, Nova, Quantum, do you like any of those?" Elekid then stamped its foot five times in response. "Dwarf it is then," the trainer chuckled as he narrowly dodged a punch from the annoyed Pokémon. "I am joking Elekid, so you like the name Nova?" A firm stamp answered his question. "Good, we should at least try to get some rest before tomorrow."

The lonesome pair awoke the next morning, eager and ready for the true beginning of their journey together. After a large breakfast between the two of them consisting of everything within the house, Christopher returned Nova returned to Oak's Lab to find that Hayley had arrived first.

"Took you long enough," was his morning greeting from Hayley, "Stupid Chris. What, did you forget to set your stupid alarm?"

"Professor Oak, may I collect the pokéballs now?" Christopher asked, Hayley's glare of hatred bouncing off of his apathy.

"Certainly, I sense you are eager to make capture your first Pokémon in the wild. Remember to stay close to the main route, wouldn't want you ending up on Mt Silver by accident." Oak replied, a fond memory forming a smile on his face as he gave his assistant the pokéballs.

"As if he could ever make it to Johto, I wouldn't even be surprised if he couldn't make it to Pewter without running back to Pallet. He hasn't even caught a Pokémon, but I have." Hayley commented smugly.

"Growlithe was a gift from your family, you did not catch it." Christopher calmly stated, a face of shock and frustration now on the girl's features.

"How the hell would you know! I'm outta here gramps, you'll hear from me in Pewter weeks before this amateur shows up." Her voice called as she left the lab.

"Before I leave as well, I have to ask you a question professor," Christopher stated as he took a seat across from Oak, the tone of his voice clearly showing it was important. "How did you become the Champion and what did it take to get there?"

A silence filled the room as the aged trainer began to form his answer.

"We both know that I became Champion after winning the Indigo League, defeating the members of the Elite Four and finally the residing Champion. I won because I spent my entire journey preparing for it; from the day I received Charmander, I trained not only my Pokémon but myself every day. I challenged the gyms, entered the Johto and Kanto Leagues every six months to show my progress, and it was during my preparations that it an idea of mine began to form. The Pokédex; a system containing detailed information on all Pokémon that could be used to study their habitats, predict their abilities and how to counter them. That is the origin of my second greatest creation, a tool I used to grow stronger as a trainer. Eventually, I focused entirely on the scientific aspect of the information instead of the battling and made a career out of it.

"As much as I would like to claim that any of the trainers that I have presented starters to will go on to become Champions, I cannot. It will take many years of dedication, resolve, doubt, failure and triumph to come anywhere close to it, something that can hardly be seen in someone's youth. To become a Champion, you have to think differently to everyone else who wants that title. Historically, every Champion who deserved the title and earned it contributed something which brought about change. Look at the current Campion Lance, a man known as 'The Dragon Master'. Before he accepted the role of Champion, Dragon types were revered as myths and legends, both for their rarity and raw power. Now they have become a symbol of strength and nobility to the public, a goal which Lance has worked towards for many years. Ask yourself, if you were to become Champion, what is it you would continue to fight towards? What is it that makes you different to everyone else who is fighting for it? That is what you must learn on your journey."

Christopher stared into his hands as Oak's words settled into his mind. "I don't mean to overload you; I simply want you to begin asking yourself these questions." The professor said, beginning to worry about the effect of his words on the young boy in front of him. Christopher continued to stare for several minutes until he closed his hands.

"Thank you, Professor Oak. I can not recklessly promise that I will go on to become a Pokémon Champion so I will promise this; I will not stop until I am strong enough to defeat all of the Champions, no matter how long it takes for me to make it a reality," spoke Christopher. The beginning trainer fastened his pokéballs at his waist, stood up from his chair and waited at the door.

"When they question if it is possible, tell them to watch me."


	2. Chapter 2

The two days it took for Christopher to reach Viridian City blended into three distinct memories; a large waterfall where they camped overnight, the smell of burnt feathers from Nova's target practice, and the severe lack of all human contact. The waterfall was simple but relaxing, the small pool beneath it home to several magikarp who would often attempt to leap up the waterfall. None of them succeeded in doing so. The frequent flocks of pidgey and spearow had grown worse as the pair distanced themselves from Pallet Town, a sign of a nearby nest which would certainly cause troubles for any trainer who was not careful. With no trainers to battle, Christopher focused solely on training his starter Pokémon and the timing of its electrical discharges. If Nova could learn to control the energy with greater precision as an elekid, it would be extremely powerful once it had the electricity capacity of an electivire to channel.

It was on the morning of the second day, when Nova was alternating hands during a Thunder Punch sequence, that Christopher's mind soon fixated on a single thought. If the electricity could be channelled into Nova's fist, why not a leg?

"Nova, I have an idea to test out. Focus your electrical energies through your legs and then execute a Low Kick against that tree." Christopher requested. Nova began with a running start towards a nearby tree and then slide into a charged Low Kick. While the tree's bark was burnt and a few leaves dropped, the kick itself did not seem to do any noticeable damage to the tree. Nova, clearly annoyed at his lack of strength, began a second run.

"At least you were able to channel the energy correctly," Christopher said, interrupting his elekid's second attempt, "We can train under a fighting style once we reach Saffron City that involves your electricity. Perhaps you can learn Rolling Kick to increase momentum and power. Try combining it with a rising Low Kick, what you used against Tangela." The yellow blur leapt up towards the tree's branches and snapped the wood with a powerful twist of its leg.

"Good work, we will call this move 'Arc Kick' in the future, ok?" Nova nodded in response. "Once we reach Viridian City, which should be later today, we can search the surrounding area for a nidoran which is known to learn Double Kick. That should help us against Brock and his rock type preference. Still, it's nine months until the beginning of the Indigo League so that should be enough time to build a good team." Christopher relaxed against his bag, his mind beginning to dream of a team he might one day stand beside.

The pair continued their Northbound walk, the trainer making light conversation with his starter Pokémon as they followed the woodland path to the aptly named Viridian City. While Nova couldn't necessarily respond in great detail, the starter Pokémon was more than eager to simply listen to its trainer and show interest in certain topics.

"So, what about you then? What is it that you want to gain from our journey together?" Christopher asked a puzzled Nova. "There should be something that you want to gain from all of this, the thing that motivates you to keep going when everything else is telling you to stop. Something that causes you to endeavour for greatness. Strength, friendship, evolution, exploration, the important thing is that it must matter to you. Great, now I sound like Professor Oak giving one of his speeches." Christopher sighed to himself, the thought of spending all of his time working in a laboratory and having a head of grey hair was more than enough for one day.

The day was turning to dusk as the duo entered the large city, the streets still bustling with people making their way home for the evening. To Christopher, Viridian was just like any other major city which typically revolved around the reputation of its Pokémon Gym to attract visiting trainers. There would always be people who lived there to settle down, but the heart of the city would always belong to the trainers who battled and trained within its borders. To Nova, every street corner and person upon it offered a new mystery that had to be investigated, something that many residents were familiar with from Pokémon. It would take them an hour to locate the Pokémon Centre, after which neither trainer nor Pokémon was content to do anything but collapse in their warm beds after two days of simply walking and training.

Once the pair had awoken and refreshed themselves with a hearty breakfast, courtesy of a nearby Pokémon friendly restaurant (provided it wasn't a Snorlax), Christopher began to search for the Viridian Gym. While he would one day challenge the battleground of the infamously powerful Giovanni and his ground types, Christopher wanted to register for the Indigo League and to hopefully watch an advanced Gym Leader battle in person. Nova grew quiet upon hearing Christopher's tales of the leader's strength, especially against inexperienced trainers.

"We are not going to battle him yet Nova, I just want to spectate a live battle of his so we can gain some experience." Christopher explained as he smiled to himself.

He soon spotted the Gym and was pleasantly surprised to see two familiar faces standing outside in conversation.

"So that's what your starter Pokémon was, I never really thought of you as the kind to choose an electric type." Elizabeth declared, a curious look from Nathan was his only other greeting.

"Yeah, I was surprised too but it feels right. Nova and I have already bonded quite well over the past few days. Still, now that you have all seen my starter, I believe I should see yours in return." Christopher stated, a smile on his face from being in the familiar company of childhood friends. Nathan was the first to reveal his starter; the newly released child of Bruteroot began to chase Nova around their trainers' legs but soon couldn't keep up with the yellow blur.

"Ah, Bulbasaur seems to be quite friendly around you Nathan. I better get on its good side before it evolves into another powerhouse. I presume Elizabeth chose Charmander then?" his question causing a face of shock upon Elizabeth.

"How do you always do that? Even when we were kids, you'd always make strange predictions that would turn out to be true and then never explain yourself." she exclaimed as she released her shy Charmander who scuttled behind Elizabeth's leg.

"Professor Oak's arcanine recently had pups and that it was aggressive when we received our starters from having it taken. I then knew that Hayley had received Growlithe from her family, which she would only do if she had chosen either Bulbasaur or Squirtle and since Nathan just showed me Bulbasaur…" the amateur detective clarified to his listeners with a slight bow. "What I can not deduce is why you two are standing outside of the Viridian City Gym with no intention of entering."

"It's closed." was the simple answer, Nathan's first words in the conversation, his reserved but blunt words a constant throughout the years.

"Actually, all you had to do was knock." came an unknown voice from the door, causing the trio to leap back in surprise at the sudden noise.

"Neither of you knocked on the door?" Christopher asked, watching his rivals sweat-drop in front of him.

"It's good to know you haven't changed too much from the old days, always oblivious to what was right in front of you." the stranger said with a knowing smile.

"The old days? Is that you Harvey?" Elizabeth questioned the nodding young man in front of her. Harvey had left Pallet Town on his journey around six years ago, venturing across the regions and competing in the various Leagues. He would sometimes return to the small town and treat the youngsters to tales of his adventures in the faraway lands.

"No one has heard from you for at least the past year," Christopher quietly muttered, "Did you hear about what happened?"

"Yeah, I heard," Harvey answered, his downward glance showing his discomfort with the topic. "Still, I suppose you are all here to register for the next Indigo League. I can't let you into the Gym itself but I can register you all on the system." The elder trainer said with an outstretched hand. A few minutes after handing Harvey their trainer licenses, he returned with a satisfied expression and a set of pokéballs around his waist.

"So Harvey, are you working for the Pokémon League?" Christopher nervously inquired, having looked up to the older boy for many years.

"I am, after battling for a few years I thought I would try training under some of the Kanto Gym Leaders to gain some more insight. At the moment I'm working under Giovanni." Harvey replied as he began to lead them away from the Gym. "But what about you, have you caught any exciting Pokémon yet, or do you still struggle with actually throwing the ball?" he mocked in a joking tone.

"I can throw just fine, finding a Pokémon to battle and capture is the hard part." Christopher responded, his hand already holding a pokéball for a demonstration.

It was at that exact moment that it happened.

From beside the Gym's entrance, a small brown figure emerged. Two small spikes jutted out from its back and a large pale bone rested tightly between its two claws. A polished helmet rested on its head with a pair of dark red eyes staring back from the dark holes. The Pokémon leapt towards them with the intent to bring down a powerful overhead strike upon the unsuspecting group. Christopher reacted the fastest, throwing the already palmed pokéball towards the attacker who was too committed to dodge in the air. With a solid thud, the orb collided and with a great burst of light, the Pokémon was absorbed inside. The group held their breath, unsure of whether the capture would hold. After almost a minute of constant rocking, the sphere turned white and ceased to move.

"A cubone, not bad for you first capture," Harvey remarked, his comment relaxing the group. "I'm not sure what it would be doing here though, usually they are found in mountains or the safari reserve."

"I have to take care of this immediately; I will see you all soon." Christopher responded abruptly as he left the group partially stunned behind him. After walking beyond the city's borders, Christopher began to prepare for his confrontation with Cubone. First, he cleared away all debris from the clearing to make sure that he wouldn't accidentally trip if forced to move quickly. Secondly, he made sure that there were no trainers or Pokémon nearby so that they would have privacy. Thirdly, Christopher turned to Nova and explained the situation.

"Nova, I need you to listen to me. In my hand is a weakened but highly aggressive Cubone who I am about to reveal. If it tries to attack either of us, I want you to only defend. Ok?" to which Nova responded with his habit of a sharp nod. With a deep breath and a final check of his surroundings, Christopher let Cubone out once more.

Cubone was alert, already raising its bone into a defensive position and searching the human in front of it for weakness. The boy's hands were at his sides with a red orb in one of them. The boy was completely open with no weapon or defence, other than the elekid beside him, and that terrified it. He should have been attacking or hiding or at least be trying to contain it unless… unless it had already been captured. Cubone released a low growl.

"Cubone, look at me," Christopher began, "I do not know why you attacked us but I know you were not after me; you would be attacking me if that was the case. Right now, I am holding your pokéball which leaves me with three options:

One; I can release you back into the wild right here and you get to walk away. However, there is no guarantee that you will not try to hurt me and my friends later on so I am removing that option.

Two; I return you to this pokéball right here and lock you away in deep storage where you will most likely remain until I can either guarantee you will not hurt my friends, or your data corrupts effectively killing you.

Three; you and I agree right here and now. I can heal you and then train you to be stronger than what you are now. We can travel this region becoming powerful and then I can offer you the choice to remain with me or to leave on your own.

I would choose the third option. I am the only real method you have of finding who you were enraged at, and I will ensure you battle them for whatever reason you attacked. The choice is yours."

Christopher leant against a nearby tree as he watched Cubone, their eyes locked upon each other. The tension grew until the cubone placed its bone on the ground and lowered its head. Christopher pulled out Pokédex and scanned his new Pokémon, a quick look at the moveset causing him to be surprised.

Cubone, The Lonely Pokémon:  
Type-Ground  
Gender-Female  
Growth-Ordinary  
Ability-Lightning Rod  
Moves-Growl, Tail Whip, Bone Club, Thunder Punch,  
Egg Moves-None

"Seems we have another Thunder Punch wielder," Christopher stated as he returned the submitted Pokémon and turned to Nova.

"The day is still young my friend and I believe we have a nidoran to track and catch.," he calmly said, "We cannot rely on Cubone's typing alone to defeat our first Gym; especially as it does not trust us yet."

Two hours and a helpful trainer later, Christopher had located a small trail and followed it to a large nidoran burrow. He began to plan how he would approach the situation but was soon forced into action by an elekid's blind charge into their ranks. Nova threw a Thunder Punch at the closest nidoran and forced it into the burrow entrance, trapping any that had remained underground. A large female headbutted Nova's side but was met with an Arc Kick that redirected most of the force. Unfortunately, the initial shock of Nova's appearance had worn off and the nidoran were beginning to group up for defence.

Christopher ran into the clearing and aimlessly threw a pokéball towards the nidoran, hoping that the projectile would cause them to scatter. It was not the thrown orb that threw the wild Pokémon into disarray but the bright flash that soon followed it. Christopher grabbed his pokéball and Nova and ran back to the safety of Viridian's Pokémon Centre, unwilling to see whether the duo was being pursued by a vengeful pack of nidoran. The trainer decided to scan his new Pokémon before having it healed, his curiosity growing with every moment.

Nidoran, The Poison Pin Pokémon:  
Type-Poison  
Gender-Male  
Growth-Giant  
Ability-Poison Point  
Moves-Peck, Leer, Double Kick, Poison Sting  
Egg Moves-Counter,

"Double Kick is already learnt, that will save me some time with mastering the move. Counter could be useful provided that we train in defence and overall endurance." Christopher mumbled to himself.

He gave Cubone and Nidoran over to the nurse so that they would be healed for the following day and then returned to his room with Nova. Christopher lay on his bed staring at the ceiling while Nova recharged at the corner's outlet. Christopher began to review his plan: Pewter, Mt Moon, Cerulean and then on to wherever place he decided would be best-probably Vermillion with his current team. Cubone wouldn't need a nickname, the tension between them would have to relax far more before either of them could accept the other. But Nidoran, that was a Pokémon who needed a name.

A brief knock on the door brought Christopher back to reality, the swing of the door revealing Chansey wearing a nursing hat with two pokéballs outstretched to him. He kindly accepted and then decided to meet his new partner, a glance at Nova to make sure they were both prepared. The purple ball in front of him began to stretch its legs as if it had been cramped inside of its pokéball. Two large spiny ears that refused to flop forwards move quickly to take in the new surroundings. Large front legs, sharp teeth and very developed horn showed that Nidoran was in the waning days of its current form.

"Hello there Nidoran," Christopher beginning the words he had prepared, "My name is Christopher and I am the trainer who caught you. I intend to train you, along with my other Pokémon, to become stronger and to battle against several different trainers." Nidoran's eyes seemed to grow and refocus at the word 'stronger'. "Before we begin training together, I was hoping to give you a name; something that shows that you matter more to me than any other wild Pokémon. Would you like that?" he calmly asked his new capture. Nidoran bowed its horn to its new trainer, accepting the decision he had made. "What do you think of the name Monolith?". The Pokémon's horn rubbed against Christopher's hand, a sign of acceptance and trust between the two of them. "Ok Monolith, tonight you can stay out of your pokéball as long as you get some sleep."

A few hours later, Christopher was being to drift asleep as he traced the gradually moving form of an asleep Monolith next to a snoring Nova. He smiled to himself, three Pokémon in four days of being a trainer, provided he could get Cubone to listen to him. It was a good start to his journey, a good place to build upon.


End file.
